100.
Title: and you're with me.
Pairing/Characters: TegoMasu
Rating/Warnings: PG
Prompt: # 100 - Massu disappears from JE without a trace, but someone knows where to find him.
A/N: Established relationship. Title taken from a translation of Yoru Wa Hoshi wo Nagameteokure. Unbetaed.
It had been a year since he'd gone. One day, he was standing beneath shining multicoloured lights that showered him with glitter and gold in front of thousands upon thousands of screaming fans all chanting his name, and the next he was gone. Just gone.
Rumours of his departure had spread over the internet like wildfire: he had gotten some girl pregnant; he had been fired for no reason; he had been caught taking drugs; he had been abducted by aliens.
No-one knew where he went.
Except Tegoshi.
***
It was just a simple ramen place buried within the depths of Tokyo. It was under a small bridge, nestled in between the brickwork, a bar to one side of it and an old bookstore on the other. The exterior was a little dark and gloomy, but the inside was warm and comforting - the way a ramen place should be, really.
There was never too many people there when Tegoshi visited. There was always Yamaguchi-san in the corner, who ordered his usual beer and miso ramen, reading his newspaper with a frown. But other than him, the place was completely deserted, and Tegoshi liked it like that.
"Hey Massu," he called, and the other appeared, smiling a little as he took his hat off.
Massu's hair was back to black, cut short so it no longer fell into his eyes. Gone were the days when he wore makeup for photoshoots and television; at the moment his face was flushed red from the heat of the kitchen. He no longer wore flashy outfits, his style more subdued nowadays. No more loud gorilla shirts and starry pants - these were exchanged for a simple white apron over a boring blue shirt, jeans peeking out under the apron.
He was different, this Massu, but Tegoshi still loved him as much as he did back when they were NEWS; when they were TegoMasu.
"Hey, Tegoshi."
"Just the usual," Tegoshi ordered, climbing onto a stool. "Not too busy today?"
Massu shook his head, heading back to the kitchen. Tegoshi could still see him from his seat, gathering the ingredients from the pantry. "Where's Yuka-chan?" Tegoshi asked, as Massu started to boil the noodles, steam rising from the pan as he stirred it with his chopsticks - the ones that Tegoshi had bought him in honour of starting this new job. Tegoshi felt a smile work it's way onto his face.
"She went home," Massu said, cutting chicken into small pieces and adding them to the noodles, "Her brother is sick, so she's going to take care of him."
"That's nice," Tegoshi replied, fingers idly tracing the knots in the wooden table. "Isn't it hard on you, though?"
Massu shook his head. "It's okay; we're never that busy." Massu moved around the kitchen, grabbing things from the pantry and cutting them up small and placing them into the pot. Tegoshi figured that he could help too - he knew where everything was, anyway - and so he hopped off his stool and walked into the kitchen, smiling at Massu when he blinked at him.
"What're you doing?"
"Helping."
Tegoshi wandered around choosing the bowls he wanted for his ramen as Massu cooked. Massu laughed when he turned back around and saw the bowl that Tegoshi had placed down for him. "You really love that red one, huh?" he said, and Tegoshi shrugged from his place on the counter. "Get down from there; it's not hygenic."
"My butt is perfectly hygenic."
Massu laughed, scratching his temple. "What am I going to do with you?" he murmured to himself, pouring the ramen into Tegoshi's bowl.
"Love me," Tegoshi said simply.
Massu nodded without looking up from his work. "I do already."
Tegoshi felt warm inside. "I know."
Massu flashed him a smile and lifted the bowl. "Here you go," he said, "But you aren't allowed--"
"--to eat in the kitchen," Tegoshi finished. "I know."
Tegoshi followed him back out into the dining area. Yamaguchi-san had already left, but not before placing his empty bowl and chopsticks neatly by the side of the counter. Massu left them there, perching on the stool next to Tegoshi, smiling as Tegoshi sipped carefully at his ramen. "Careful, it's hot."
"I know that," Tegoshi murmured, watching the broth swirl around the noodles, steam rising from the heat of the dish. The ramen was delicious, as always, and he said so to Massu, who beamed.
"I'm glad," he said. "Only the finest will do for my best customer."
Tegoshi smiled. "Naturally."
"How goes the career?" Massu asked, pulling a pad of paper from his apron. "I haven't seen much of your face around lately," he added, as he began to start on tomorrow's specials.
Tegoshi waited until he finished chewing to reply. "It's going okay. Had a meeting today about a possible tour, so that's exciting," he said, smiling over at Massu. "It'll be my first solo tour."
"How're Koyama and Shige?"
"Doing well. They've just released their fifth single," Tegoshi answered, chewing carefully. "I'll go buy you one, if you want."
"That'd be nice, thankyou," Massu murmured as he drew fluffy ducks around the borders of his page. "I haven't heard from them in a while."
"Really?"
"They don't keep in touch as much as you," he said, smiling down at his drawings. "No-one does."
"Maybe they're busy," Tegoshi said, biting into a small piece of chicken. "They've had a lot on since the band split."
"True. Koyama did text me the other day."
"Oh?"
"Took a photo of his new cat."
Tegoshi snorted as Massu chuckled. "Still the same, then," Tegoshi laughed.
Massu was quiet as Tegoshi finished his meal, drawing on his page instead of thinking of the next dish. "Did you enjoy it?" Massu asked as he cleared his dishes away.
"Very much so," Tegoshi said, feeling warm and comfortable now that his stomach was full of that ramen. He sighed, watching as Massu cleaned the dishes thoroughly. Cautiously, he asked, "Are you having fun?" It was something that he had been meaning to ask for months, but hadn't the courage.
Massu looked up, confused. "Washing the dishes isn't really--"
Tegoshi shook his head. "No, no-- being here. Are you happy?"
"Oh." Massu paused, leaning against the sink. "Yes. Yes, I am."
"That's good..."
"I enjoy cooking," Massu continued, wiping his hands on a small towel before untying his apron. "I like the atmosphere of this place; I love the fact that it has character. I love that I'm not recognised," Massu admitted, avoiding Tegoshi's gaze. "I like being able to wander and not have people stare. Unlike you," he smiled, "You thrive on those stares."
"I do," Tegoshi laughed. "But I'm glad to know you're doing okay."
"Thanks for worrying."
Tegoshi sat there, waiting for Massu to finish up. "You done?" he asked, when Massu had put the dishes away. Massu nodded. "Can we go now?"
"Yeah, just let me grab my things and lock up."
Ten minutes later, Massu was shutting the lights off and locking the door, meeting Tegoshi outside on the street. "Your place?"
"Yours is closer."
They wandered, in no real hurry to get back to Massu's apartment. They stopped to watch a busker sitting outside a closed shoestore, strumming his guitar soulfully. Massu reached deep into his pocket, pulling out a few hundred yen and placing the coins down into the man's hat, smiling when the busker bowed his head at them.
Small things like that was why Tegoshi loved Massu.
The night was sweet, a lovely breeze surrounding them and ruffling their hair every which way, and for once, Tegoshi didn't care. He looked over to Massu, who looked completely at ease with himself for the first time since he was seventeen. He had nothing to prove anymore; no-one to answer to. He didn't have to think about what repercussions his actions would have; didn't have to think through hairstyles before he actually went through with whatever he chose. He didn't have to please anyone anymore.
"Massu?" Tegoshi called, and Massu turned, a tiny smile on his face.
"Yes?"
They stood there, the night moving around them, people walking and talking and moving past them; Tegoshi's heart was beating hard against his chest but this was right, all kinds of right, and he needed to say it in front of everyone. "I love you."
Massu looked at him awhile, his dark eyes staring into Tegoshi's own. "Careful, you're out in public," Massu said, pulling on Tegoshi's arm. "But I love you too," Massu whispered into his ear as they continued to walk.
It didn't matter how many times Massu said it, no matter how he said it - those words still made him feel ridiculously happy.
Massu's apartment was in an old building, the paint peeling off the walls and mould growing in the cornices. It wasn't as grand as Massu's old apartment, but Massu seemed to love it more than the other one; said it had more personality. And Tegoshi had to agree.
They curled up on the couch together - the only piece of furniture that Massu wanted to take with him into the new apartment - with a cup of tea each. Tegoshi was quite content to lie his head on Massu's chest, listening to the beat of his heart as Massu's fingers trailed up and down his arm. Massu pressed a tiny kiss to the top of Tegoshi's head, making him smile.
"You know, sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I weren't an idol," Tegoshi mused, looking at his cup on the table and knowing that his tea was growing colder by the minute.
"Oh?"
"Like... would I get to see your face everyday? Would we get to kiss everyday, like normal couples? If I quit, I could help out at the ramen place, and I could cut up vegetables whilst you boiled noodles, and--"
"The world wouldn't be the same if you stopped singing," Massu interrupted in a soft voice.
Tegoshi tightened his arm around Massu's middle. "Thankyou," he whispered. Then, "I miss you."
"But I'm right here."
"No, I mean... I miss singing together. I miss the way our voices blend. I miss TegoMasu."
"Me too," Massu admitted. "But I still have a voice. I can still sing." Tegoshi nodded, and Massu kissed the top of his head again. "Stay here tonight?" he asked, fingers coming up to play with the hair at the nape of Tegoshi's neck. "I miss you when you're an idol."
"I'll stay. I miss you when I'm an idol, too," Tegoshi said.
"When do you have to be at work tomorrow?" Massu asked, lightly kissing Tegoshi's ear. Tegoshi hummed and snuggled closer to him, feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.
"Sometime in the afternoon," he answered a little sleepily.
"So... I have you until then?" Tegoshi nodded, his eyes slowly closing. "Don't go to sleep on me now, Yuya," Massu laughed.
"Not."
Massu ignored him. "Tomorrow, I'll cook you breakfast, and we can lounge around and watch movies until you have to leave. How does that sound?"
"Nice," Tegoshi mumbled, feeling the sleepiness take over. "I love you, Taka."
Massu chuckled, pulling him closer. "Love you too."
The End.
Pairing/Characters: TegoMasu
Rating/Warnings: PG
Prompt: # 100 - Massu disappears from JE without a trace, but someone knows where to find him.
A/N: Established relationship. Title taken from a translation of Yoru Wa Hoshi wo Nagameteokure. Unbetaed.
It had been a year since he'd gone. One day, he was standing beneath shining multicoloured lights that showered him with glitter and gold in front of thousands upon thousands of screaming fans all chanting his name, and the next he was gone. Just gone.
Rumours of his departure had spread over the internet like wildfire: he had gotten some girl pregnant; he had been fired for no reason; he had been caught taking drugs; he had been abducted by aliens.
No-one knew where he went.
Except Tegoshi.
***
It was just a simple ramen place buried within the depths of Tokyo. It was under a small bridge, nestled in between the brickwork, a bar to one side of it and an old bookstore on the other. The exterior was a little dark and gloomy, but the inside was warm and comforting - the way a ramen place should be, really.
There was never too many people there when Tegoshi visited. There was always Yamaguchi-san in the corner, who ordered his usual beer and miso ramen, reading his newspaper with a frown. But other than him, the place was completely deserted, and Tegoshi liked it like that.
"Hey Massu," he called, and the other appeared, smiling a little as he took his hat off.
Massu's hair was back to black, cut short so it no longer fell into his eyes. Gone were the days when he wore makeup for photoshoots and television; at the moment his face was flushed red from the heat of the kitchen. He no longer wore flashy outfits, his style more subdued nowadays. No more loud gorilla shirts and starry pants - these were exchanged for a simple white apron over a boring blue shirt, jeans peeking out under the apron.
He was different, this Massu, but Tegoshi still loved him as much as he did back when they were NEWS; when they were TegoMasu.
"Hey, Tegoshi."
"Just the usual," Tegoshi ordered, climbing onto a stool. "Not too busy today?"
Massu shook his head, heading back to the kitchen. Tegoshi could still see him from his seat, gathering the ingredients from the pantry. "Where's Yuka-chan?" Tegoshi asked, as Massu started to boil the noodles, steam rising from the pan as he stirred it with his chopsticks - the ones that Tegoshi had bought him in honour of starting this new job. Tegoshi felt a smile work it's way onto his face.
"She went home," Massu said, cutting chicken into small pieces and adding them to the noodles, "Her brother is sick, so she's going to take care of him."
"That's nice," Tegoshi replied, fingers idly tracing the knots in the wooden table. "Isn't it hard on you, though?"
Massu shook his head. "It's okay; we're never that busy." Massu moved around the kitchen, grabbing things from the pantry and cutting them up small and placing them into the pot. Tegoshi figured that he could help too - he knew where everything was, anyway - and so he hopped off his stool and walked into the kitchen, smiling at Massu when he blinked at him.
"What're you doing?"
"Helping."
Tegoshi wandered around choosing the bowls he wanted for his ramen as Massu cooked. Massu laughed when he turned back around and saw the bowl that Tegoshi had placed down for him. "You really love that red one, huh?" he said, and Tegoshi shrugged from his place on the counter. "Get down from there; it's not hygenic."
"My butt is perfectly hygenic."
Massu laughed, scratching his temple. "What am I going to do with you?" he murmured to himself, pouring the ramen into Tegoshi's bowl.
"Love me," Tegoshi said simply.
Massu nodded without looking up from his work. "I do already."
Tegoshi felt warm inside. "I know."
Massu flashed him a smile and lifted the bowl. "Here you go," he said, "But you aren't allowed--"
"--to eat in the kitchen," Tegoshi finished. "I know."
Tegoshi followed him back out into the dining area. Yamaguchi-san had already left, but not before placing his empty bowl and chopsticks neatly by the side of the counter. Massu left them there, perching on the stool next to Tegoshi, smiling as Tegoshi sipped carefully at his ramen. "Careful, it's hot."
"I know that," Tegoshi murmured, watching the broth swirl around the noodles, steam rising from the heat of the dish. The ramen was delicious, as always, and he said so to Massu, who beamed.
"I'm glad," he said. "Only the finest will do for my best customer."
Tegoshi smiled. "Naturally."
"How goes the career?" Massu asked, pulling a pad of paper from his apron. "I haven't seen much of your face around lately," he added, as he began to start on tomorrow's specials.
Tegoshi waited until he finished chewing to reply. "It's going okay. Had a meeting today about a possible tour, so that's exciting," he said, smiling over at Massu. "It'll be my first solo tour."
"How're Koyama and Shige?"
"Doing well. They've just released their fifth single," Tegoshi answered, chewing carefully. "I'll go buy you one, if you want."
"That'd be nice, thankyou," Massu murmured as he drew fluffy ducks around the borders of his page. "I haven't heard from them in a while."
"Really?"
"They don't keep in touch as much as you," he said, smiling down at his drawings. "No-one does."
"Maybe they're busy," Tegoshi said, biting into a small piece of chicken. "They've had a lot on since the band split."
"True. Koyama did text me the other day."
"Oh?"
"Took a photo of his new cat."
Tegoshi snorted as Massu chuckled. "Still the same, then," Tegoshi laughed.
Massu was quiet as Tegoshi finished his meal, drawing on his page instead of thinking of the next dish. "Did you enjoy it?" Massu asked as he cleared his dishes away.
"Very much so," Tegoshi said, feeling warm and comfortable now that his stomach was full of that ramen. He sighed, watching as Massu cleaned the dishes thoroughly. Cautiously, he asked, "Are you having fun?" It was something that he had been meaning to ask for months, but hadn't the courage.
Massu looked up, confused. "Washing the dishes isn't really--"
Tegoshi shook his head. "No, no-- being here. Are you happy?"
"Oh." Massu paused, leaning against the sink. "Yes. Yes, I am."
"That's good..."
"I enjoy cooking," Massu continued, wiping his hands on a small towel before untying his apron. "I like the atmosphere of this place; I love the fact that it has character. I love that I'm not recognised," Massu admitted, avoiding Tegoshi's gaze. "I like being able to wander and not have people stare. Unlike you," he smiled, "You thrive on those stares."
"I do," Tegoshi laughed. "But I'm glad to know you're doing okay."
"Thanks for worrying."
Tegoshi sat there, waiting for Massu to finish up. "You done?" he asked, when Massu had put the dishes away. Massu nodded. "Can we go now?"
"Yeah, just let me grab my things and lock up."
Ten minutes later, Massu was shutting the lights off and locking the door, meeting Tegoshi outside on the street. "Your place?"
"Yours is closer."
They wandered, in no real hurry to get back to Massu's apartment. They stopped to watch a busker sitting outside a closed shoestore, strumming his guitar soulfully. Massu reached deep into his pocket, pulling out a few hundred yen and placing the coins down into the man's hat, smiling when the busker bowed his head at them.
Small things like that was why Tegoshi loved Massu.
The night was sweet, a lovely breeze surrounding them and ruffling their hair every which way, and for once, Tegoshi didn't care. He looked over to Massu, who looked completely at ease with himself for the first time since he was seventeen. He had nothing to prove anymore; no-one to answer to. He didn't have to think about what repercussions his actions would have; didn't have to think through hairstyles before he actually went through with whatever he chose. He didn't have to please anyone anymore.
"Massu?" Tegoshi called, and Massu turned, a tiny smile on his face.
"Yes?"
They stood there, the night moving around them, people walking and talking and moving past them; Tegoshi's heart was beating hard against his chest but this was right, all kinds of right, and he needed to say it in front of everyone. "I love you."
Massu looked at him awhile, his dark eyes staring into Tegoshi's own. "Careful, you're out in public," Massu said, pulling on Tegoshi's arm. "But I love you too," Massu whispered into his ear as they continued to walk.
It didn't matter how many times Massu said it, no matter how he said it - those words still made him feel ridiculously happy.
Massu's apartment was in an old building, the paint peeling off the walls and mould growing in the cornices. It wasn't as grand as Massu's old apartment, but Massu seemed to love it more than the other one; said it had more personality. And Tegoshi had to agree.
They curled up on the couch together - the only piece of furniture that Massu wanted to take with him into the new apartment - with a cup of tea each. Tegoshi was quite content to lie his head on Massu's chest, listening to the beat of his heart as Massu's fingers trailed up and down his arm. Massu pressed a tiny kiss to the top of Tegoshi's head, making him smile.
"You know, sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I weren't an idol," Tegoshi mused, looking at his cup on the table and knowing that his tea was growing colder by the minute.
"Oh?"
"Like... would I get to see your face everyday? Would we get to kiss everyday, like normal couples? If I quit, I could help out at the ramen place, and I could cut up vegetables whilst you boiled noodles, and--"
"The world wouldn't be the same if you stopped singing," Massu interrupted in a soft voice.
Tegoshi tightened his arm around Massu's middle. "Thankyou," he whispered. Then, "I miss you."
"But I'm right here."
"No, I mean... I miss singing together. I miss the way our voices blend. I miss TegoMasu."
"Me too," Massu admitted. "But I still have a voice. I can still sing." Tegoshi nodded, and Massu kissed the top of his head again. "Stay here tonight?" he asked, fingers coming up to play with the hair at the nape of Tegoshi's neck. "I miss you when you're an idol."
"I'll stay. I miss you when I'm an idol, too," Tegoshi said.
"When do you have to be at work tomorrow?" Massu asked, lightly kissing Tegoshi's ear. Tegoshi hummed and snuggled closer to him, feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.
"Sometime in the afternoon," he answered a little sleepily.
"So... I have you until then?" Tegoshi nodded, his eyes slowly closing. "Don't go to sleep on me now, Yuya," Massu laughed.
"Not."
Massu ignored him. "Tomorrow, I'll cook you breakfast, and we can lounge around and watch movies until you have to leave. How does that sound?"
"Nice," Tegoshi mumbled, feeling the sleepiness take over. "I love you, Taka."
Massu chuckled, pulling him closer. "Love you too."
The End.